Father of Lakers' Wayne Ellington Shot Dead

Father of Lakers' Wayne Ellington Shot Dead

The 57-year-old was found murdered in his car in Philadelphia on Sunday night.

Published November 12, 2014

The father of Los Angeles Lakers guard Wayne Ellington was murdered in Philadelphia on Sunday night. Wayne Ellington Sr., 57, was found slumped over at an intersection in the Germantown section of Philly on Sunday night without any motives for his murder, which is being investigated, according to the Philadelphia Daily News.

Ellington played in the Lakers' win over the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday before learning of his father's death and being granted an immediate and indefinite leave of absence from the team.

"My family and I are devastated by the news of my father's murder on Sunday night in Philadelphia," Ellington said in a statement released by the Lakers, as reported by ESPN. "We appreciate everyone's support and ask that you respect the privacy of our family during this very difficult time."

Lakers coach Byron Scott was sad to get the news.

"I got the news when I was with my family in the hallway about to go to my car," Scott also told ESPN. "I obviously kind of dropped everything and went straight to him, spent a few minutes with him. A lot of his teammates were there, as well as his fiancé. [Hornets guard] Gerald Henderson, who he grew up with, was there. He had a lot of support."

"Again, this is our livelihood, but it's still just a game," Scott added. "This thing that's happening with Wayne is real life. It kind of puts everything in perspective, too."

There's no timetable for Ellington's return to the team. A $20,000 reward has been issued by the city of Philadelphia for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Ellington Sr.'s murder.

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